NiklasSmith.com

This Skyline Is Circa Niklas, But Not Circa Zoe

July 2010

2010-06-01: Well, Niklas has been having a pretty good time lately. Yesterday, Aaron and his parents came over for a cookout. Niklas and Aaron ran around like a couple of mental patients who had been given massive doses of caffeine, but they didn't smash anything up too badly, so success. He spent the rest of the weekend doing a bit of tricycle riding (results were mixed), dragging baby toys off the shelf (fairly successful) and avoiding naps (massive, massive success).

2010-06-06: Niklas had a pretty good day today. This morning, we went to the playground and kicked the soccer ball around (that's two separate things; we weren't seeing if we could kick a soccer ball up a slide, though that does sound kind of fun now that you mention it). We followed that up with some lunch and (cue fireworks) a nap. Granted, I'm pretty sure he only took his nap because I laid down in his bed and took a nap with him, but if that's what it takes, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. This afternoon, we went to give some of Niklas's baby clothes to Alice's baby brother Thomas and then we all headed over to the playground. Niklas put out about seventy pretend fires and generally ran about like a madman. A good time was had by all.

Yesterday was less thrilling as the weather kept Niklas cooped up all day and he wasn't allowed to watch any TV on account of the tantrum he threw in the barbershop on Friday which I'm sure you don't remember as I'm mentioning it for the first time right now. In other news, Niklas needs a haircut.

2010-06-09: Well, after a couple of rough days (there was pee everywhere, thanks to Niklas's "I'm the baby" phase), today went reasonably well. I got Niklas some sidewalk chalk and he created several masterpieces on the sidewalk outside. I also introduced him to hopscotch, which he loves despite the fact that if you were to calculate what the exact opposite of how hopscotch is supposed to be played and compare that to what Niklas was doing, you'd be hardpressed to find any differences.

2010-06-16: So, it's baby-eve or thereabouts. Niklas took off this afternoon to spend a few days with Grandma and Papa Meeker as Andrya's doctors were all like "whoa, that baby's going to show up with the quickness" or some such on Monday. Anyway, before he left, Niklas told me not to be sad and he assured me that he would be home soon. I love that guy.

2010-06-18: Zoe Cecilia Smith was born at 5:06 this morning. She weighs seven pounds even and would stand one foot, seven inches tall if that were her thing, which currently it is not. She and Andrya are both doing well. I would hope that her big brother is still asleep, but who knows with that guy. I'll post some pictures in a bit.

2010-06-18 Update: So here are a few pictures of Zoe. She is quite able to open her eyes, no matter what these pictures might lead you to believe.

Also, here's a picture of Niklas eating brownie batter a couple of weeks ago.

2010-06-23: By popular demand, there are some new pictures up here. Anyway, what's been going on lately? Much, I can assure you. Niklas had a fabulous time with Grandma and Papa Meeker in Bloomington while Andrya and I were at the hospital with Zoe. He went to the park with the sprinklers, played with Matchbox cars and drew some awesome pictures (which I plan on scanning someday, possibly even soon). The highlight, though, was apparently a monorail set that featured buildings, tunnels and a monorail. As you can see from this picture that Niklas took himself, he's a big fan of trains.

Back in Chicago, Zoe's first five days have gone pretty well. On her birthday, she mastered latching for feeding right away and had a couple of the big tar poops that everyone apparently has when they're born. Also, she slept quite a bit, so awesome. On Saturday, Zoe got her first shot, I had a burrito from Chipotle and Andrya dealt with Zoe wanting to eat every couple of hours. At one point, during some should be sleeping time, I walked around in a circle with Zoe for about an hour on account of how she wouldn't stop yelling otherwise.

On Sunday, the doctors proclaimed both Andrya and Zoe fit to be discharged, so despite Andrya's love for wearing a hospital gown (note: Andrya does not love hospital gowns) we headed home. Niklas's grandparents brought him up that afternoon and he got to meet his baby sister for the first time. He seems pretty fond of her so far. If that keeps up for the next fifteen years that they'll be living together, ayyyy.

Niklas has been a great help with changing diapers. He thinks it's awesome to put the dirty diaper in the diaper champ, which is great because I, like most people, am opposed to dealing with dirty diapers. Niklas has also read Zoe some books and he tells her "it's ok, it's ok" if he hears her crying. As she crys quite a bit (what with being a baby and all), he gets plenty of chances with that.

I took Niklas to a T-ball class yesterday. He did a reasonable job of following directions, which is pretty much all I'm looking for out of this. There was some running, throwing and a close approximation of catching. Hitting is apparently next week's thing, but as I'm sure you know, that's Niklas's strong suit.

So, when Zoe's upset, I try holding her up by my shoulder to calm her down (as illustrated in this picture of Niklas , whom Zoe looks like quite a bit). Today, I was able to figure out she was hungry by doing this, as she latched on to my ear.

2010-06-30: I'm probably jinxing the crap out of myself (and moreso, Andrya), but for the last couple of days, Zoe has been sleeping quite a bit at night. This follows several days of Zoe embracing the lifestyle of Slaughter's Top 27 hit from 1989, "Up All Night (Sleep All Day)". I hate that song. Anyway, bad 80's music aside, the Zoe Smith parade of eating, sleeping, pooping, yelling and being cute continues unabated.

Niklas is doing well, too. The other day, he gave Zoe a hug and a kiss that was so cute it made the picture of him reading to her look like something significantly less cute. He's also been playing T-Ball (he's decided he's a left handed hitter, lately) and tearing up the local playgrounds.

Josh was in town for work last weekend, so he stopped by to meet Zoe and hang out with his Godson. He gave Niklas a Wall-E game for his Leapster which is the current holder of the coveted "Niklas's Favorite Thing In The World" title belt.